If you could live anywhere in the DC area...

[Anonymous]

Mmmmmm....pineapple and Coronas.

[Anonymous]

Good people? What an odd criterion!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good people? What an odd criterion!

YOU get it. Welcome to D.C.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easy to get along with and down to earth? I'm not sure why PPs have listed Bethesda, Potomac, and McLean. Arlington and Takoma Park I can understand.

The only neighbors so far that has not given a flying flip what we make in terms of our income are the people in McLean. All my neighbors are independently successful, confident, have awesome family values, and are very friendly.

A very funny anecdote is that we used to live in Chantilly, and recently went to an old neighbor's son's birthday party. We've remained very good friends even though we moved to McLean. Our friends also moved, to Falls Church and there were some of their new neighbor friends at the party. One of them walked over and asked "So how do you know John?" My wife replied "oh, we were neighbors." Thinking that we lived in Fall Church as well, she asked "oh, so you were on xyx St?" My wife responded "no, no, we were neighbors in Chantilly". You could see the expression change on her face like hotel curtains being drawn. I don't want to pass judgement on people who live in Falls Church based on this one person, but it was funny nonetheless.

I had a similar experience at a birthday party recently...most of the families attending the party live in Falls Church ("City of" they will always correct you if you leave that part off) and I got that same look when I said I lived in Vienna...then the person acted like they didn't know where that was, despite having grown up in the area...


Question from a Falls Church (City) resident ... Falls Church encompasses a huge area, and when people ask where I live, I go back and forth between saying "Falls Church" and "Falls Church City". Agree that replying "Falls Church City" can come off as pretentious (which is funny, because I generally find people here to be very, very nice!). But "Falls Church" isn't very descriptive. I don't live anywhere near Bailey's Crossroads or Lake Barcroft, for instance, though both are Falls Church. I don't want to play the name game and I can't contribute to a conversation about schools/restaurants/parks/etc in these other areas of Falls Church. So what's the best reply in this situation? Thanks.

And our experience in Vienna has been similar to yours in McLean...everyone is very friendly, down to earth, successful and confident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easy to get along with and down to earth? I'm not sure why PPs have listed Bethesda, Potomac, and McLean. Arlington and Takoma Park I can understand.

The only neighbors so far that has not given a flying flip what we make in terms of our income are the people in McLean. All my neighbors are independently successful, confident, have awesome family values, and are very friendly.

A very funny anecdote is that we used to live in Chantilly, and recently went to an old neighbor's son's birthday party. We've remained very good friends even though we moved to McLean. Our friends also moved, to Falls Church and there were some of their new neighbor friends at the party. One of them walked over and asked "So how do you know John?" My wife replied "oh, we were neighbors." Thinking that we lived in Fall Church as well, she asked "oh, so you were on xyx St?" My wife responded "no, no, we were neighbors in Chantilly". You could see the expression change on her face like hotel curtains being drawn. I don't want to pass judgement on people who live in Falls Church based on this one person, but it was funny nonetheless.

I had a similar experience at a birthday party recently...most of the families attending the party live in Falls Church ("City of" they will always correct you if you leave that part off) and I got that same look when I said I lived in Vienna...then the person acted like they didn't know where that was, despite having grown up in the area...


Question from a Falls Church (City) resident ... Falls Church encompasses a huge area, and when people ask where I live, I go back and forth between saying "Falls Church" and "Falls Church City". Agree that replying "Falls Church City" can come off as pretentious (which is funny, because I generally find people here to be very, very nice!). But "Falls Church" isn't very descriptive. I don't live anywhere near Bailey's Crossroads or Lake Barcroft, for instance, though both are Falls Church. I don't want to play the name game and I can't contribute to a conversation about schools/restaurants/parks/etc in these other areas of Falls Church. So what's the best reply in this situation? Thanks.

And our experience in Vienna has been similar to yours in McLean...everyone is very friendly, down to earth, successful and confident.

Stick with saying "Falls Church"...no one that lives outside of that pocket really cares about the distinction and if you are talking to someone who lives in that area they are well aware of the difference

[Anonymous]

Lincoln, VA or Brookville, MD. Don't care for a big house. Small houses - your Cape Cods, for example are much more energy efficient than a McMansion. You won't take that house with you when you die!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC, particularly the walkable core of the city.

joke of the day

I'm guessing you haven't spent time there in the last decade. Or maybe you're just a Republican?

I've found that the urban core attracts some of the most friendly, unaffected, independent thinking, interesting, and interested people I've ever known. These are mostly highly educated, intellectual-leaning, dual career families who have opted not to lose an hour or two of each day to commuting; instead, they (and I) spend that time with the kids and each other at one of many local playgrounds. There seems to be very little cattiness and pressure to keep up with the Joneses, in part because people don't seem to be as bored and lonely here as they are in the 'burbs (boredom breeds nastiness, don't you think?) and in part because one can only accumulate so many toys in a downtown rowhouse (even a 1-2 million dollar rowhouse). I also think urban core-dwellers feel less of a need to entertain and define themselves with the mall-bought trappings of success because there are so many small pleasures and adventures just outside the front door, and we all get to share them. There are definitely times when I think about trading my independent coffee shops and steps-away restaurants and frequent stroller trips to Whole Foods for room-sized closets and expansive parking lots with no meters to feed, but if "good people" is the only test, I'd stay in the urban core any day--specifically Georgetown, Dupont and Logan Circles, Shaw, Greater U Street, and Ledroit Park/Bloomingdale

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lincoln, VA or Brookville, MD. Don't care for a big house. Small houses - your Cape Cods, for example are much more energy efficient than a McMansion. You won't take that house with you when you die!

We live near Brookevile, MD. There are TONS of McMansions there - especially in the parts that aren't as developed. Having said that, you can live in the part that borders the Mill - Tanterra - or the historic section. lots of choices!

typical 'hood




historic - very cool




McMansion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to agree that Arlington is like purgatory. It's trying to be like dc and McLean at the same time without the benefit of being in the city and without the larger lots. The only benefit is being close to DC but if you are rich and have your pick to "live anywhere you could" you won't commute and don't really care about proximity to DC.

This is exactly correct. Was there yesterday and found it way too 'cluttered' for my tastes.

So you think people who don't care about commutes live in McLean because it is such a great community? Based on your asinine posts, I can only surmise (and because you speak in certainties - "exactly correct", "not debatable" about opinions, it's fairly obvious you are the same poster again and again) that you actually don't have money, but like to pretend to on an anonymous forum; you live in an apartment on Old Dominion Drive but tell people you're from McLean (oooooh!), you are ignorant of home prices anywhere else (including the county of Arlington, which you much malign but of which you'd actually approve if you were familiar with the clusters of multi-million dollar homes there, since that appears to be your only criteria for "acceptability"; and that you are a complete moron. That, sir, is not debatable, and is exactly correct.

I think what PP was saying, is that not everyone commutes to DC or cares about proximity to DC. Consider how many jobs are out in the 'burbs. People on this forum are very "DC Centric", probably because so many are dependent on the Feds. There are people who live in McLean, who also work in McLean or work in Reston. Why would they want to live in Arlington or DC if that's the case?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to agree that Arlington is like purgatory. It's trying to be like dc and McLean at the same time without the benefit of being in the city and without the larger lots. The only benefit is being close to DC but if you are rich and have your pick to "live anywhere you could" you won't commute and don't really care about proximity to DC.

If I were rich and didn't care about commuting, I'd be on a pineapple plantation in Hawaii, not in some overpriced suburb of any of overpriced city. For those of us poor enough to need an actual income, most of us care about commute times into the big city. Hence, higher prices for close-in 'burbs of DC, New York, Philly, Chicago, et al. Your ignorance on this point takes away any credibility you have.

I know people who are rich enough to live on that pineapple plantation in HI and choose to stay in this overpriced suburb. Hell if I know why though

Seriously, a major reason is that they are still active in community and their jobs despite their wealth or are rooted due to the kids/family.

Me? I'd be out of this area so fast…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC, particularly the walkable core of the city.

joke of the day

I'm guessing you haven't spent time there in the last decade. Or maybe you're just a Republican?

I've found that the urban core attracts some of the most friendly, unaffected, independent thinking, interesting, and interested people I've ever known. These are mostly highly educated, intellectual-leaning, dual career families who have opted not to lose an hour or two of each day to commuting; instead, they (and I) spend that time with the kids and each other at one of many local playgrounds. There seems to be very little cattiness and pressure to keep up with the Joneses, in part because people don't seem to be as bored and lonely here as they are in the 'burbs (boredom breeds nastiness, don't you think?) and in part because one can only accumulate so many toys in a downtown rowhouse (even a 1-2 million dollar rowhouse). I also think urban core-dwellers feel less of a need to entertain and define themselves with the mall-bought trappings of success because there are so many small pleasures and adventures just outside the front door, and we all get to share them. There are definitely times when I think about trading my independent coffee shops and steps-away restaurants and frequent stroller trips to Whole Foods for room-sized closets and expansive parking lots with no meters to feed, but if "good people" is the only test, I'd stay in the urban core any day--specifically Georgetown, Dupont and Logan Circles, Shaw, Greater U Street, and Ledroit Park/Bloomingdale

That would be lovely, if only it were remotely true. The urban core is largely where insecure, mostly white careerists who are afraid to be more than 10 minutes away from their current jobs have gathered. They have no qualms about displacing older, AA residents of the city, nor any reservations about engaging in cut-throat tactics to get their children into "desirable" schools and local charters. In larger numbers, their overwhelming sameness and smugness becomes almost unbearable. They talk a good game when it comes to matters of diversity, but are profoundly uncomfortable among those of lesser means. Their sanitized, Whole Foods version of urban life has redefined what it means to be "cookie-cutter" today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to agree that Arlington is like purgatory. It's trying to be like dc and McLean at the same time without the benefit of being in the city and without the larger lots. The only benefit is being close to DC but if you are rich and have your pick to "live anywhere you could" you won't commute and don't really care about proximity to DC.

This is exactly correct. Was there yesterday and found it way too 'cluttered' for my tastes.

So you think people who don't care about commutes live in McLean because it is such a great community? Based on your asinine posts, I can only surmise (and because you speak in certainties - "exactly correct", "not debatable" about opinions, it's fairly obvious you are the same poster again and again) that you actually don't have money, but like to pretend to on an anonymous forum; you live in an apartment on Old Dominion Drive but tell people you're from McLean (oooooh!), you are ignorant of home prices anywhere else (including the county of Arlington, which you much malign but of which you'd actually approve if you were familiar with the clusters of multi-million dollar homes there, since that appears to be your only criteria for "acceptability"; and that you are a complete moron. That, sir, is not debatable, and is exactly correct.

I think what PP was saying, is that not everyone commutes to DC or cares about proximity to DC. Consider how many jobs are out in the 'burbs. People on this forum are very "DC Centric", probably because so many are dependent on the Feds. There are people who live in McLean, who also work in McLean or work in Reston. Why would they want to live in Arlington or DC if that's the case?

Either way, the Arlington poster needs to loosen up. Some people prefer McLean to Arlington, and vice versa. The thread should have just been about what people like, not what they don't like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC, particularly the walkable core of the city.

joke of the day

I'm guessing you haven't spent time there in the last decade. Or maybe you're just a Republican?

I've found that the urban core attracts some of the most friendly, unaffected, independent thinking, interesting, and interested people I've ever known. These are mostly highly educated, intellectual-leaning, dual career families who have opted not to lose an hour or two of each day to commuting; instead, they (and I) spend that time with the kids and each other at one of many local playgrounds. There seems to be very little cattiness and pressure to keep up with the Joneses, in part because people don't seem to be as bored and lonely here as they are in the 'burbs (boredom breeds nastiness, don't you think?) and in part because one can only accumulate so many toys in a downtown rowhouse (even a 1-2 million dollar rowhouse). I also think urban core-dwellers feel less of a need to entertain and define themselves with the mall-bought trappings of success because there are so many small pleasures and adventures just outside the front door, and we all get to share them. There are definitely times when I think about trading my independent coffee shops and steps-away restaurants and frequent stroller trips to Whole Foods for room-sized closets and expansive parking lots with no meters to feed, but if "good people" is the only test, I'd stay in the urban core any day--specifically Georgetown, Dupont and Logan Circles, Shaw, Greater U Street, and Ledroit Park/Bloomingdale

That would be lovely, if only it were remotely true. The urban core is largely where insecure, mostly white careerists who are afraid to be more than 10 minutes away from their current jobs have gathered. They have no qualms about displacing older, AA residents of the city, nor any reservations about engaging in cut-throat tactics to get their children into "desirable" schools and local charters. In larger numbers, their overwhelming sameness and smugness becomes almost unbearable. They talk a good game when it comes to matters of diversity, but are profoundly uncomfortable among those of lesser means. Their sanitized, Whole Foods version of urban life has redefined what it means to be "cookie-cutter" today.

Anyone want to guess the race of the author of this post? Oh, what's that, black people can't be racists. Damn, foiled again. Utter nonsense, grounded in nothing more than one's own bigotry. My hat is off to you, dear poster.

[Anonymous]

That would be lovely, if only it were remotely true. The urban core is largely where insecure, mostly white careerists who are afraid to be more than 10 minutes away from their current jobs have gathered. They have no qualms about displacing older, AA residents of the city, nor any reservations about engaging in cut-throat tactics to get their children into "desirable" schools and local charters. In larger numbers, their overwhelming sameness and smugness becomes almost unbearable. They talk a good game when it comes to matters of diversity, but are profoundly uncomfortable among those of lesser means. Their sanitized, Whole Foods version of urban life has redefined what it means to be "cookie-cutter" today.

I'll be even blunter: I don't want to live near you. Period. If my presence displaces you from the street, I think it your movement away is an improvement among all dimensions.

I think of you as no better than some hill-billy racist yokel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That would be lovely, if only it were remotely true. The urban core is largely where insecure, mostly white careerists who are afraid to be more than 10 minutes away from their current jobs have gathered. They have no qualms about displacing older, AA residents of the city, nor any reservations about engaging in cut-throat tactics to get their children into "desirable" schools and local charters. In larger numbers, their overwhelming sameness and smugness becomes almost unbearable. They talk a good game when it comes to matters of diversity, but are profoundly uncomfortable among those of lesser means. Their sanitized, Whole Foods version of urban life has redefined what it means to be "cookie-cutter" today.

I'll be even blunter: I don't want to live near you. Period. If my presence displaces you from the street, I think it your movement away is an improvement among all dimensions.

I think of you as no better than some hill-billy racist yokel.

Fuck off, you smug yuppie. The hillbillies didn't end up in the hills because restrictive covenants and Jim Crow laws kept them from living anywhere else for decades. You ought to learn some history.